No Harm Intended
by dreaming0
Summary: Their 'Brotherly Love' act was just that, an act. Well mostly. But it was all in fun, to get a reaction from the girls. No one was meant to get hurt. A Hitachiin story.
1. Ch 1 A plan goes awry

**A/N: **This is only my 3rd fanfic, and my first ever posted here. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is graciously accepted, flaming is not.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I'm done.

oOoOo

The plan was simple. Kaoru was to circle around the building to sneak up from behind, while Hikaru prevented her escape from the front. It was a typical 'kidnap the commoner' maneuver. They had executed it dozens of times. Why should this time be any different? But it was. Hikaru had done his best to keep Haruhi from heading home, but without his brother's assistance, he had been unsuccessful. No amount of cajoling from the single twin could keep her from her destination. He watched helplessly as she walked down the sidewalk to the train station. Where was Kaoru? Why hadn't he played his part? "When I find him," he fumed, "I'm going to have to give him a good beating." Hikaru stormed off in search of his other half.

oOoOo

Kaoru ran around the side of the building, a grin on his face. He loved plotting with his brother, and anticipated the fun they would have with their 'toy' this afternoon. As he turned the next corner, however, his fanciful thoughts were cut short by what felt like a brick wall. He barely managed to keep his balance as the brick wall slowly turned and glared down at him. It was Masao Shinoda. He belonged to a well known Yakuza family. Unlike in Kasanoda's case, sometimes appearances weren't deceiving. It was fully expected that Masao would follow in his father's footsteps. He already had several loyal followers, and two of them stood behind Masao with equally menacing glares on their faces.

"Hey!" Masao thundered.

"Gomen! Gomen!" Kaoru stammered, bowing in way of apology, as he slowly backed away. 'Oh crap, I'm in trouble now.' he thought, though he was a bit bemused by the situation. Leave it to a twin to tick off a tank.

"You! You're one of them!" growled Masao. "I've seen you and your fag brother. It's disgusting how you hang all over each other. How all those girls could go crazy over a pair of queers like you two is beyond me. It's unnatural and sickening. I think you need to be taught a lesson about being a man." Masao and his goons advanced on the single twin.

No longer amused, Kaoru decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and he turned tail and ran rather than face these thugs alone. Kaoru was a pretty good runner, but these guys had years of experience chasing down victims, and they were not far behind him.

Perhaps if he had been thinking clearly, he would not have made such a stupid mistake. Perhaps if Hikaru had been with him, they would have gone in a different direction, maybe toward some place more populated. But he was not thinking clearly, and Hikaru was not with him. He headed straight into the hedge maze.

He turned left and right randomly as he bolted down the paths of the maze, not paying attention to where he was going. Hikaru had always been better at finding his way through the maze, and Kaoru usually just followed his twin. Now he hoped that Masao and friends were just as lost as he was, and that he could escape them among the twists and turns. Just when he thought he would make it, he turned a corner and was faced with a tall hedge wall, a single stone bench in front of it. 'Shit, a dead end,' he cursed. He turned to back track, but it was too late. Masao and his goons blocked the path behind him. Malevolent grins spread across their faces.

"You shouldn't have run, boy," Masao sneered, "We might've gone easy on you….but probably not," he added with a chuckle. "In case you hadn't guessed, we don't like your kind. You and your homo brother nauseate us. It's repulsive. Maybe if you were punished for your offensive behavior, you might think twice before touching each other like that again." They closed in on the cornered twin.

Kaoru managed to duck under Masao's first swing, which only served to further enrage the brute. The twin even succeeded in landing a few punches of his own before he was overpowered. He was no match for the three large tormenters, not when he was alone anyway. Had Hikaru been there, they might have stood a chance together. Kaoru was not used to fighting by himself. He did his best to fend them off, but they took full advantage of their superior number, and took turns holding him while the other two did the beating. Kaoru was not sure which hurt more, the angry blows that rained down upon him, or the harsh words slung at him concerning his brother and their relationship.

When Masao and his thugs had finally had enough, Kaoru was left broken and bleeding in a heap on the ground. "And that concludes our lesson for today," chortled Masao, adding one more kick for good measure. "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut about this. We might decide that your brother needs a lesson too, and we won't be as nice to him as we were to you." He gave a cruel laugh, and his cronies joined in. They turned their backs on their handiwork and strode away, congratulating one another on a job well done.

Kaoru lie motionless for awhile, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Finally, with a groan, he rolled over to assess the damage. His entire body hurt. Very little of it was left unbruised. From the pain that breathing caused him, he guessed that he had a few cracked, if not broken ribs. He tasted blood from his split lip, and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. Blood trickled down from the lump on his head where it had connected with the stone bench during the fight.

He couldn't let Hikaru see him like this. His twin would freak out. He at least needed to get cleaned up first. With much effort, Kaoru struggled to his feet and stumbled against the hedge. Using the hedge for support, he began the arduous task of finding his way out of the maze and to the infirmary.

oOoOo

Hikaru walked around the outside of the building to see what possibly could have detained his brother. He suspected that maybe some Host Club customers had waylaid him, but he saw no sign of his brother anywhere outside the building. Maybe he forgot something in Music Room 3. Hikaru headed up there, but all he found was Kyoya still pouring over his notebook.

"Have you seen Kaoru?" he asked Kyoya.

"Not since the two of you left after Host Club ended for the day."

"Crap," was Hikaru's annoyed reply. "Where the hell did he go? He was supposed to help me kidnap Haruhi this afternoon. Now what are we going to do? This is boring." Kyoya just shrugged and turned his attention back to his notebook. "Some help you are," mumbled Hikaru. He stomped out of the music room to go check the classrooms, but he had no luck there either.

After searching everywhere else on campus he could think that Kaoru might be hiding, he sat down on a bench, exhausted. "Fine, I give up!" declared Hikaru to himself. "I'm going home. He's probably there now, laughing his fool head off at me. I bet he was trying to set me up with Haruhi again. Well, it didn't work this time." Hikaru stood up and dejectedly headed for home.

oOoOo

"Hi Mom, I'm home," announced Hikaru upon his arrival. It felt odd not saying 'We're home.'

"Where's Kaoru?" she inquired. "Isn't he with you?"

"No, the idiot took off on me. I thought he would be here."

"Oh, after the nurse called I sent a car around for him. I figured you were with him."

"No, I walked home…..Wait, did you say nurse?" Hikaru asked with a note of panic in his voice. He hadn't thought to check the infirmary.

"Yes, apparently he got hurt somehow, but they patched him up and called here. I imagine he should be home soon," his mother assured him. She had long since given up on worrying excessively about her boys. If she hadn't, she would be a basket case by now. Besides, they usually looked out for each other pretty well. "I am looking forward to hearing the details from him. The nurse did not elaborate on the phone. I figured the two of you had gotten yourselves into trouble again, but I guess that's not the case for a change."

Well, if his mother was this calm, it couldn't be too bad, could it? "I'm going to go start my homework," he said as he headed up the stairs. He was still mad at his twin for disappearing, but couldn't help but worry about him.

Not long after, Hikaru heard the car pull up out front. He figured Kaoru would be up right away, but he wasn't. Their mother must have cornered him, and was interrogating him. Hikaru was curious, but he forced himself to wait for his brother to come upstairs. He knew that whatever line Kaoru was feeding to his mother probably wasn't the truth anyway. He tried to turn his attention back to his school work, but he found it hard to concentrate. It seemed like forever before Hikaru heard their bedroom door open.

"It's about time you showed up," scolded Hikaru, not looking up from his books. "I looked all over for you, you know."

"I'm sorry," said Kaoru softly. Hikaru finally glanced up at him and gasped at what he saw. Kaoru's face was bruised and distorted. A bandage covered his right temple. He held an ice pack in his hand, as though unsure of where he should put it first. He stood staring at Hikaru in a daze. Hikaru leapt from his chair and ran to his twin.

"My God!" cried Hikaru, encircling his brother in his arms. Kaoru winced at the contact and stepped back. Hikaru, noting his reaction, slowly lifted his brother's shirt and peered underneath. A white bandage was wrapped around his thin torso. The skin left uncovered was a deep shade of purple. Hikaru's fingers gently hovered over the discolored skin. "What the hell happened to you?" he whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the painful injury.

"I fell," Kaoru replied simply.

"You fell?" Hikaru asked incredulously, staring wide eyed at his brother.

"I fell hard," he qualified, in way of explanation.

"What? Off a cliff?" Hikaru's voice rose. "Don't give me that crap! Mom might buy stupid excuses like that, but I won't. Tell me what happened!" he demanded.

"It was nothing. I did something stupid, and got hurt. Nothing is broken. I'll be fine. I think I need to lie down though." Kaoru was feeling dizzy again. His knees went weak and he slumped against his brother. Hikaru walked him over to the bed. Now was not the time to fight. His brother needed him. He carefully helped Kaoru out of his clothes. Tears filled Hikaru's eyes as the removal of each article of clothing revealed further damage. Once he had Kaoru in pajamas and lying down, he crawled into bed next to him as gently as he could. The twins lay facing one another, their eyes locked.

"Here, you should put this on your eye," Hikaru said, handing his brother the ice pack.

"Thank you," Kaoru said, carefully placing it over his black eye. "For everything," he added.

"I guess we won't be able to play the 'Which one is Hikaru?' game for awhile," Hikaru said, his fingers gently brushing the hair from his twin's face.

"I guess not," Kaoru agreed, the corner of his mouth turning upward slightly. It was the best smile he could manage at the moment. The pain killers they had given him at the infirmary were doing their job, and he began to drift off.

Hikaru watched his brother's sleeping form with concern. What was he hiding? His twin had never kept secrets from him before. At least not that he knew of anyway. It was obvious that it was someone and not something that had hurt Kaoru. But who, and why? And why wouldn't Kaoru be willing say what happened? Hikaru was determined to figure this out, but he had to do it without hurting Kaoru any further. Whoever had done this would be truly sorry. With thoughts of revenge running through his head, Hikaru eventually fell asleep, his brother's hand gently clasped in his own.


	2. Ch 2 Questions

"Hikaru…Hikaru-kun…It's time to wake up. You need to get ready for school." Hikaru woke to the sound of his mother's quiet voice, and her soft hand on his shoulder. He had not slept well and was still tired. He had woken up every time his brother had moaned or cried out during the night. Each time he spoke soft words, and gave gentle caresses to soothe the troubled boy back to sleep. Hikaru looked over at his twin. Kaoru seemed to be sleeping peacefully now.

"What about Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, not because he thought his brother should go to school, but rather because he wanted to stay home by his side. He had never gone to school without his twin before. Even when there had been an illness, they usually both had it, or at least pretended to.

"I am keeping him home with me today, but you need to go to school," she insisted. "I plan to take him to the doctor. The school doctors did a fine job, but I just want to be sure. He could probably use a prescription for some good pain meds too." She looked down at her battered son with deep concern.

Hikaru reluctantly threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. He took his mother by the hand and dragged her out into the hall. He did not want Kaoru to wake up and overhear them.

"What did he tell you?" he asked as soon as the door was closed behind them.

"Not much," she confessed. "He said he fell, but we both know that isn't true. I was hoping he had confided in you." She looked at him expectantly, but Hikaru frowned and shook his head. His mother gave a deep sigh. "The infirmary staff couldn't get him to talk either. I spoke with them again this morning. They said he came in on his own yesterday and wouldn't say what had happened. Whatever it was, it seems to have left him pretty scared. If we are going to get to the bottom of this, we're going to have to go about it very carefully. That's why I want you to go to school today. Keep your eyes and ears open. Ask around. See if anyone heard or saw anything. People like to talk, and I need you to listen."

"Okay," he agreed, reluctantly. He did not want to be away from Kaoru, but he saw the merit in his mother's suggestion. He would become a detective and find the culprit, he decided resolutely. He went back into his room to get ready for school.

oOoOo

Kaoru awoke, his head throbbing. He reached for his twin, but came up empty handed. He opened his good eye and saw the bed vacant beside him. He rolled over slowly, his whole body aching, and looked at the clock by the bed. Hikaru must have left for school awhile ago. Though he missed his brother, he was glad he had been allowed to stay home. He was not ready to face everyone yet. The fewer questions the better, at least until he came up with a better story anyway. He knew they were not buying that he had fallen, but it was the best he could come up with at the time. He hadn't been thinking too clearly then.

Kaoru decided that a nice, warm bath would feel exceptionally good about now. He sat in the bathroom, carefully unwrapping his ribs as the tub filled. Once the bath was ready, he gingerly lowered himself into the comforting warmth.

As his body relaxed, his head filled with the events of the day before. The entire scene played itself out in his mind; the running, the beating, the hateful words that echoed in his brain. It all boiled down to one thing. His offense had not been bumping into Masao. He probably could have gotten away with that. No, his crime, in Masao's eyes, had been the twins' 'brotherly love' act.

It had started innocently enough. The twins loved getting a rise out of the girls with just a tender stroke of the hand, or an intimate exchange of words. There was no doubt that the brothers loved and cared for one another, and they were about as close as two people could get, but their references to illicit rendezvous were, so far, mere fantasies. They both loved to touch and hold, and tease each other, but in reality, it had never gone any further. Perhaps it would some day, but for now it was just a game; a source of amusement when they were bored. Kaoru never imagined that this simple diversion could harm anyone. And yet, now it had. But even if it wasn't just pretend, Masao and the others had no right to do what they did to him.

Last night, all Kaoru had wanted was to be cradled in his brother's arms, while he poured out the story to sympathetic ears. He wanted Hikaru to say that everything would be okay. That they would never let something like that happen ever again, to either of them. But he couldn't. If Kaoru told, he would only be putting his brother at risk of being hurt. How could he protect Hikaru, without letting him know he was in danger? How could he continue to hide what happened? Should he let those thugs get away with what they had done to him? These were questions for which Kaoru had no answer. He wished there was someone he could talk to, but there wasn't. He had never felt so alone in his life.

Kaoru's head began to hurt again, and the relaxing effects of the bath started to wear off. There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Kaoru?" called his mother through the door. "Are you alright in there?"

"I'm fine," he lied. "Just taking a bath."

"Okay then," she said. "You need to get out soon though. You have a doctor's appointment in a little while."

"Okay," he answered. With great effort, he pulled himself out of the tub and began to dry off. There would be more questions at the doctor's office, and he still hadn't come up with a reasonable story yet. He wasn't sure he would be able to. Maybe continued silence would be the best approach. Perhaps it would all blow over and be forgotten, as though it never happened. Somehow he doubted it.


	3. Ch 3 Investigation

Hikaru felt lopsided as he walked down the hallway at school. There was no one to balance him out. The strange looks he received only served to reinforce the oddness he felt. He wanted to just go hide in the music room for the day, but he couldn't. He had a job to do. He had to remain amongst the other students for Kaoru's sake.

As he continued down the hall, he kept his ears open, just as his mother requested. He heard many whispered comments as the other students passed by.

"Where's the other one?"

"I wonder why he's alone."

"Maybe they're fighting again."

"Wow, I don't think I have ever seen just one."

"Heh, probably too scared to show his face."

Hikaru whirled around to find the source of the final comment, but all he saw was a sea of blue jackets and yellow dresses. He had no idea who had said it, but it had definitely been a male voice. Unable to find what he was looking for, Hikaru headed to class.

He arrived at the classroom just before the bell rang, and slipped into the seat next to Haruhi. She looked over at him, puzzled.

"Where's Kaoru?" she asked.

"He's home," Hikaru replied. He wanted to explain, but the sensei, who had just begun the lesson, was glaring at him. "I'll tell you later," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

The day dragged on, and Hikaru got no closer to finding out what had happened. Finally, classes ended. Hikaru and Haruhi walked together toward the third music room.

"Well?" inquired Haruhi.

"Kaoru was hurt….badly," he added.

"How? What happened?" she gasped, her voice full of concern.

"That's the problem. He's not talking. It looks like someone beat him up, but he's not saying who. We can't get anything out of him. It doesn't make any sense. I don't know who he could possibly be protecting." Hikaru would be surprised to learn that he was the one being protected by Kaoru's silence.

"Well, if anyone can figure it out, it will be you. You probably know him better than you know yourself." Haruhi placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Thanks for your confidence," Hikaru replied gratefully. He just wished he felt as confident as Haruhi did.

Once they reached the music room, Hikaru related the story once more to the rest of the Host Club members. He included the comment he had overheard in the hall; the sole bit of information he had managed to gather the entire day.

When he had finished, the club members sat in silence, contemplating what should be done. Finally, the king leapt to his feet and raced to Hikaru's side. "It is clear then," he announced, flinging his arm around the twin. "We must cancel club activities this afternoon and commence our investigation immediately!" Hikaru was relieved that he would no longer be alone in his search for the truth.

"No," came the objection from across the room. "Host Club will open today as planned."

The other members turned to look at Kyoya in astonishment. "What!?" protested Tamaki. "Are you that concerned for the club funds that you can not take a moment to think of a suffering family member!?" he argued, protectively hugging Hikaru closer.

Kyoya sighed. Must he always explain himself to this idiot. "Whatever happened must have occurred shortly after the twins left Host Club yesterday; when they split up in their attempt to kidnap Haruhi."

Haruhi looked suspiciously over at Hikaru who glanced down guiltily. He had not told that part of the story. 'So that's what he was up to,' she thought to herself. She had wondered at the time why Kaoru had not been present. The thought of what must have been happening at that moment saddened her.

Kyoya continued, "The customers who were here yesterday afternoon would have still been on campus at the time of the incident. Many of them will be back today. Perhaps one of them saw something. The sad sight of a lone twin is sure to get them talking."

As usual, Kyoya's logic was impeccable. So it was decided; Host Club would carry on as usual. They would not give the customers any details, but merely imply that Kaoru's absence was due to something that had occurred yesterday after closing. As expected, all of the girls wanted to appear knowledgeable about the situation. Most of them related stories of seeing Kaoru with Haruhi outside the front gate. A few others had seen Hikaru as he searched the school for his brother, and had also mistaken him for Kaoru.

Only one girl's story was different. "I was standing at the window, watching for my family's limo to arrive to take me home. I saw Kaoru running. Well, I didn't know it was Kaoru at the time," she amended, "but I could see his auburn hair, so I knew it was one of them. He was with three other boys. They all had black hair. One of them was rather tall. I thought it might have been Mori-Sempai." The club members looked over to Mori, who shook his head.

The girl went on. "They all ran into the hedge maze and disappeared from view. I figured the Host Club members were playing Kick the Can again, or some other commoner game. I really didn't think anything of it. Shortly after, the car arrived, and I went home."

Most of the occupants of the third music room stared intently at the girl as she related her tale. Only one person surveyed the faces of the crowd instead. Kyoya noted a fearful expression on the face of one girl. Her name was Mariko, and she designated the twins exclusively whenever she visited Host Club. Kyoya watched as her face went pale, and as she slipped quietly from the room when the other girl had finished talking. He jotted the information down in his notebook for future reference. He would have to look into this.

After Host Club ended, and the girls had all departed, the club members decided to look through the hedge maze to see if they could find anything out of the ordinary. They split into pairs to cover more ground. Much to Tamaki's dismay, Haruhi went with Hikaru.

As they walked through the labyrinth, Hikaru began to notice several broken branches sticking out of the normally well manicured hedge. "This is odd," he said, pointing them out to Haruhi. The two of them were able to follow the jutting twigs like trail markers. They finally arrived at a dead end where there was a considerable amount of damage to the surrounding hedges. Haruhi and Hikaru scoured the area, but found only sticks and leaves on the trampled grass.

Hikaru sat down heavily in defeat on the stone bench. "I'll never figure this out. I'm useless," he whimpered dropping his face into his hands. Haruhi sat down next to him and put a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"Don't you dare give up now. Think of Kaoru!" she reprimanded. "You've learned a lot today. And look at that!" she offered, pointing down to the corner of the bench. Hikaru looked to where she was pointing, and saw a dark read smear on the light grey stone. He crouched down to examine it closer.

"Blood," he said in a whisper. As he brushed his fingers lightly over the rough stone, he could almost hear the echoes of the struggle. It had happened here, just the day before, probably at about the same time of day. How could Hikaru not have known his twin was in trouble? Why didn't Kaoru call out to him, like he had when he was locked in room 2-C with the class president? Granted, neither twin could explain what had happened that time, but there was definitely some supernatural connection between them. Why didn't it work this time?

Haruhi placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder as he stared transfixed at the dark red stain. "Come on," she encouraged, breaking him from his thoughts. "Let's go find the others, and show them what we found." Hikaru nodded absently as he stood and followed Haruhi out of the maze.

oOoOo

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews. Keep them coming. It is nice to know I am not just writing this for myself. More about Kaoru next time.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I'm done.


	4. Ch 4 A weight is lifted

Kaoru stared out the car window as he and his mother rode home from the doctor's office in silence. They had taken x-rays and found nothing broken, but he did have two cracked ribs and a mild concussion. He could now open his left eye, and though his vision was still a bit blurred, the doctor had assured him there would be no permanent damage. In fact, they were told, that given time, all of his physical injuries would heal completely. However, the doctor was not so sure about the emotional repercussions.

Kaoru had refused to talk while at the doctor's office. The doctor had recommended to his mother that she find a counselor for him. Kaoru flat out refused the idea. Though he longed for someone to talk to, he didn't want to spill his guts to some stranger who had no clue what he was going through. But he couldn't talk to his mother or brother without them wanting to report the incident. His father was away on business, but he would have had the same reaction as the rest of his family anyway. He could just imagine what would happen if he told the other Host Club members. Tamaki would form a vigilante party, and they would set out, armed to the teeth, to attack every Yakuza they laid eyes on. Kaoru couldn't help but grin at the visual image this thought produced.

"I'm glad to see you smiling." His mother's words startled him, and he looked over at her. He felt bad that he was worrying her so.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry for what? Smiling?" she asked.

"No, for all the trouble I'm causing. You had to cancel your meeting to take care of me today."

"That is no trouble. Meetings can be rescheduled. You are much more important to me. What troubles me is that you are hurting, and I feel like I can't do anything to help you." Kaoru looked down, ashamed. "Don't you understand? We love you very much, and we want to help. It is apparent that someone did this to you. I just can't figure out why you are hiding it. Don't you realize that if this happened to you, it could happen again? Someone else could get hurt. Do you want that?"

He looked away with tears in his eyes. How could he explain that that's exactly what he was trying to avoid? His silence might keep Hikaru safe.

His mother silently cursed herself. A minute ago he was smiling, and now she had brought him to tears. She was at a loss for what to do. She couldn't stand to see him like this, but she felt helpless to stop it. She didn't like feeling helpless. At work she was the one who called the shots; always in control. She didn't know how handle being powerless.

Kaoru went back to staring out the window. He couldn't keep this up. It seemed he was causing as much pain by not saying anything. He wished there was someone he could confide in. Someone who would understand and explain to him why this had happened, and what to do about it. Then, out of the blue, it came to him; there was someone. A person who could identify with the situation. One with more worldly experience than Kaoru himself had.

He spent the rest of the car ride trying to devise a plan to escape from his mother without worrying her further, so that he could accomplish his mission. When they arrived home, the driver dropped them off in front of the mansion.

"You look tired," noted his mother. "Maybe you should go upstairs and lie down." He nodded and complied. She called after him, "I'll ring the pharmacy and have them deliver your pain medication. I'll be working downstairs in my office if you need me."

"Okay," he replied from upstairs. That was too easy. So much for his elaborate plan. He would have to remember it for another day. Kaoru had no trouble sneaking down the back stairs and out to the garage. The driver was still there, cleaning off the car.

"I need you to do me a favor." It was all the boy had to say. The driver opened the car door for him.

oOoOo

Kaoru stood outside the door for a full ten minutes before gathering the courage to ring the bell. At first he heard only silence from inside, but then he heard the sounds of someone shuffling toward the door.

"Coming, coming, I'll be right there," came a muffled voice. The door opened revealing a bleary eyed okama in a rumpled dressing gown. "Dear Lord! What on Earth happened to you?" Ranka grabbed the boy by the wrist and pulled him into the apartment. He surveyed the boy up and down, shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Poor thing," he murmured. "I'm sorry, but Haruhi is not here. She's still at school."

"I know," the boy responded. "Can I talk to you?" he asked pleadingly.

"Of course, have a seat in the living room. I'll make us some tea." Kaoru did as he was told, while Haruhi's father prepared the tea. "I hate to ask," Ranka called from the kitchen, "but I can never tell at the best of times."

"I'm Kaoru," the twin replied. A short while later, Ranka entered the living room carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups. He set it down on the table and poured the tea before settling himself down opposite Kaoru.

"Well," said Ranka, taking a sip of tea, "How can I be of help?"

Kaoru didn't know where to start. "Have you ever had someone hate you," he began hesitantly, "because of what you are?"

"You mean because I am an okama?" Ranka clarified. "Of course. I've had to put up with my fair share of derogatory comments and snide remarks from ignorant fools over the years."

"Fair share?" questioned Kaoru. "Is it really fair?"

"Well, no," he recanted shaking his head. "Poor choice of words on my part. It is not fair, and it is not right. No one should be persecuted for the way he chooses to live his life, so long as that choice does not harm others."

"Have they ever hurt you?"

"What, physically? No, I've been lucky," realization began to dawn on him. "Is that what happened to you?" Kaoru nodded. "Bastards!" Ranka spat, slamming a fist on the table. The boy looked up at him, alarmed by the sudden outburst. "I'm sorry," apologized Ranka. "It just bothers me that anyone would do something like that, especially to someone so young. Do you want to tell me about it?"

For the first time since it happened, Kaoru told his story; the true story. From the plan to kidnap Haruhi, to the threats made should he tell anyone, he told Ranka everything, leaving out only the names. Despite the tears streaming down his face, he did feel like a weight had been lifted from him. He may not be any closer to a solution, but at least he had been able to finally tell somebody, and it helped.

"I can't help but feel that it is all my fault," Kaoru confessed. "I am the one who usually initiates our little scenes, and I have to admit, that I take pleasure from them. I never intended any harm, and now, because of me, Hikaru could get hurt."

"Don't say that," challenged Ranka. "It is not your fault that this world is full of idiots. Those boys had no right to do that to you. You and your brother share a special relationship. If all siblings could get along as well as you two, this world would be a much better place."

"Maybe," conceded Kaoru. "But what do I do now? If I tell anyone else, they might hurt Hikaru. And if I don't tell, I will just keep hurting him as well as my mother. I don't know what to do."

Ranka looked at the boy and shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't tell you what to do. You have to decide that for yourself. I will say this though, you have good friends and a good family. They will be there for you; to support you when you need it most. It is up to you to choose what is right. And when you do, they've got your back."

"I understand," he said simply. "Thank you." The boy stood up, bowed his respect to the okama and walked out of the apartment.

oOoOo

**A/N:** Two updates in one day. Geeze, I need to get a life. Actually, I just really want to finish this thing while it's still fresh in my mind. If I leave it alone for too long, I might never get it done. Thanks again for the feedback.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I'm done.


	5. Ch 5 Communication

Kaoru crept in the back of the mansion unnoticed. Thankfully, no one was in the kitchen. It was well past lunchtime, and too early to be starting dinner. He was relieved to see the pharmacy bag sitting on the counter. Though his mission had left him feeling a bit better emotionally, it had done his body no favors. He felt physically drained. Every breath he took sent a jolt of pain through him, and he was lightheaded. Other than the cup of tea Ranka gave him, he had not eaten since the small breakfast his mother had forced upon him that morning. He felt too nauseous to eat anything now.

He pulled the pill bottle from the bag and tried to focus on the fine printed dosage instructions. The letters swam before his eyes. His hands were shaking too much to open the bottle. Damn childproof caps. "Shit," he uttered as the world turned yellow, then black, and he slumped to the kitchen floor, unconscious.

oOoOo

When Hikaru arrived home from school, he headed straight to his bedroom. He needed to see his twin. He couldn't remember the last time they had been apart this long. He opened the door quietly in case his brother was sleeping. But he wasn't. The bed was neatly made, and the room completely empty. Where could he be? He couldn't still be at the doctor's. It was too late for that. The doctor's office would be closed by now. Maybe they had found something seriously wrong. What if he was in the hospital?

"Kaoru…Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled as he raced through the house in a panic. He found his mother working in her office. "Where's Kaoru?" he panted as he burst in the room.

His mother looked up in surprise at her distraught son. "He should be upstairs sleeping. Why?"

"He's not! He's not there!" he blurted. After enlisting the aid of several servants, they began to search the house. As large as it was, this was not an easy task.

It was Hikaru who finally found his brother collapsed on the kitchen floor. When he saw the pill bottle on the floor near his twin's hand, he feared the worst. He knew Kaoru had been suffering since the attack, but he wouldn't go that far, would he? He rushed to his brother's side and grabbed the bottle. Thankfully, it was still full. Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to Kaoru. His skin was very pale where it was not bruised, but he was breathing shallowly.

"Kaoru, Kaoru," he called, shaking his brother. Kaoru did not stir. Hikaru racked his brain trying to think of what to do to wake an unconscious person. Only one thing came to mind. He filled a pitcher with cold water and threw it on his twin.

"Ahhhh!" Kaoru sputtered in surprise as the cold water hit him square in the face, jolting him awake. "What was that for?" he cried.

"I'm sorry, you appeared to have fainted. It was all I could think of." Hikaru knelt next to his twin and handed him a kitchen towel.

"Oh," he said looking around. He was indeed lying on the kitchen floor. He gratefully took the towel and began drying off his face and hair.

Hikaru helped his brother into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so," Kaoru replied. "I wanted to take my pain medication, but I got dizzy. I haven't eaten." he explained.

At that moment, their mother entered the kitchen and saw her boys sitting on the floor. "You've found him!" she exclaimed in relief. "What happened?" she asked, noticing her drenched son and the puddle of water next to him.

"He was trying to take a pill, but he passed out. He needs to eat something," Hikaru said accusingly. Why was Kaoru getting his own meds, and why hadn't he been fed? There were enough servants in this house. Someone should have been taking care of him.

Their mother put her hand to mouth with a gasp. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I should have brought them up to you. I didn't even know the medication had arrived. One of the servants must have accepted the delivery and failed to tell me about it. I thought you were still asleep. I should have checked on you." She looked down, ashamed. What kind of mother was she?

"It's okay," Kaoru assured her. "I'm fine." He was relieved she hadn't checked on him. If she had, she would have found him missing, and that would have been much worse.

"I'm sorry," she said again, still feeling guilty. "Hikaru, could you please help Kaoru back upstairs and give him his medication? I'll have the cook fix him something to eat." Hikaru nodded and helped Kaoru to his feet.

Once upstairs, Hikaru got his brother into bed and went to the bathroom to get a glass of water for Kaoru to take his pill with. He returned to the bedside and handed the glass to his twin. He opened the pill bottle, shook a tablet into his hand and held it out to Kaoru.

"Thank you," Kaoru said, as he took the pill from his twin's hand. After swallowing it, he looked back up at his brother. "Hikaru, please don't be too hard on Mom. I'm causing her enough pain as it is. Besides, if she had checked on me, I would have been caught."

"Caught? Caught doing what?"

"I snuck out."

"Snuck out where?"

"I'd rather not say right now. I just needed to talk to someone." Kaoru explained.

"What's wrong with me? Why can't you talk to me?" Hikaru protested vehemently. He hated that there seemed to be a wall forming between them. They had never kept things from each other in the past. Why did his twin feel he couldn't be trusted?

"I'm sorry," Kaoru said sadly, tears pricking at his eyes. "I know I am hurting you too. I don't mean to. I just need to figure some things out on my own. I know you just want to help, but it is better for you this way. You have to trust me, please." he begged.

Hikaru sat on the side of the bed and pulled his brother into a gentle embrace. "I believe you," he whispered. "I just want you to know, when you are ready, I'm there for you. I always will be."

"Thank you," Kaoru responded softly as he clung to his brother tightly. After what seemed like an eternity, the twins released one another, and Hikaru sat back.

"I was there today," he said solemnly.

"Where?"

"Where it happened…where you got hurt, in the hedge maze," he stated.

Kaoru's jaw dropped, and he stared at his brother. "But how did you…?" He couldn't finish his question. He was too dumbstruck. How did he find out?

"We did some investigating today." he answered.

"We?"

"The Host Club, of course. You didn't think that we would just sit idly by, did you?"

"I guess not," Kaoru admitted. "How much do you know?"

"Well, we know when and where it happened, and we think we know what happened, but we don't know who or why. Only you can tell us that." He looked to his brother hopefully.

Kaoru grabbed Hikaru's hand. "Please let it go," he begged. "Don't ask any more questions. Someone else could get hurt." He looked at his brother pleadingly. At least if they didn't know who it was, and why it happened, Hikaru would still be safe.

"I don't know if I can promise that. This won't just go away on it's own. We need to do something about it. Did they threaten you? Is that why you're so scared?" Kaoru looked away from his twin. This was killing both of them. "You don't have to worry, we won't let them hurt you again." Hikaru pledged.

There was a rap at the door and it swung open. Their mother stepped in, carrying a tray. "Dinner is served!" she announced. She looked at the teary eyed twins on the bed and stopped short. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, we're fine," Hikaru assured her. "We were just talking."

"Okay," she replied, unconvinced. She set the tray on the bedside table. "I brought enough for both of you. Hikaru, make sure Kaoru eats all his soup. He probably shouldn't be taking that medication on an empty stomach."

"Yes, Mother," he acknowledged with a nod.

"And Kaoru, if you are feeling better, maybe you can go to school tomorrow… but only if you're up to it," she added.

"Yes, Mother," he echoed.

"Well then," she said, feeling awkward. When the two of them were like this, there was no getting in the middle of it. "I guess I'll leave you two to your meal. Please enjoy. If you need anything else, I will be downstairs."

"Yes, Mother," they repeated once more in unison.

She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. Well, at least the two of them seemed to be communicating with each other again. That was a step in the right direction anyway. It was hard not being a part of her own children's world sometimes. She sighed and went back downstairs.

oOoOo

**A/N: **Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. I was glad to get the twins back together in this chapter. They had been apart for far too long.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I'm done.


	6. Ch 6 Truth be told

After their mother left, the twins had dinner. While they ate, they talked and joked about nothing in particular. There was only one topic both of them deliberately avoided. Kaoru was relieved that Hikaru had let it drop for now. Hikaru was happy just pretending things were back to normal. When they had finished eating, Kaoru dozed while Hikaru did his homework.

Later on, Hikaru turned off the light and crawled into bed next to his sleeping brother. "Mmmm," mumbled Kaoru rolling over to look at his twin, "You coming to bed? What time is it?"

"Almost 11:00. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Hikaru apologized, wrapping an arm around his brother.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to sleep so long. Those meds really wipe me out." Kaoru snuggled closer to his twin, enjoying the warmth he brought to the bed.

"You needed the sleep. How are you feeling?"

"Better I suppose."

"You coming to school tomorrow?" Hikaru wasn't looking forward to facing another day at school alone.

"I don't know. It will be hard seeing everyone."

"If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to come. But I'm sure they would all like to see you. They are worried about you too." Hikaru reminded his twin.

"I know, but what if they start asking questions? What will I do then?" he implored.

"It will be okay. You don't have to answer anything. I will be right there beside you. If anyone bothers you, I will take care of them," he assured him.

Kaoru knew his brother was speaking the truth. He could count on his twin to be there to protect him. He drew himself closer into his brother's embrace. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Besides," added Hikaru with a smile, "Brotherly love does not make a very good solo act." To his surprise, he felt Kaoru stiffen in his arms. He was trying to make his brother feel better, not scare him. "What's the matter?" he asked, concerned.

"It's nothing," he claimed, unconsciously backing away from his brother. This was exactly the kind of intimacy that had caused all the trouble to begin with.

"Do you not like our brotherly love act? Are you bored with it? Does it make you uncomfortable?" Hikaru was becoming worried. Brotherly love was so much a part of who they were, he wasn't sure he could give it up now.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I love having you near me, holding me." He reached up and caressed his brother's cheek. "It's just that, lately, I worry what other people think."

"Not to worry, the girls still love the act," Hikaru reassured him. "Brotherly love will always be popular with them."

"That's not what I meant." Kaoru argued. "What about other people, outside of Host Club? What do they think?"

"Who cares what they think?" he declared. "We do it for us…for the girls."

"But what if they think it's wrong?"

"Do you think it's wrong?"

"No…I don't know. I'm confused. It doesn't feel wrong. But they said it was."

"Who said it was?"

Kaoru's eyes went wide. "No one!" he blurted and rolled away from Hikaru. "We should go to sleep now."

"Who said it was wrong?" Hikaru persisted. He moved closer to Kaoru, and with a firm hand on his shoulder, gently rolled him onto his back. He looked into his brother's face and saw tears in his eyes. It was then he realized what this was all about. "It was them wasn't it. The people who hurt you. They said it was wrong. That's why they did it."

Kaoru looked up at him, in silence. A tear ran down his cheek. He didn't have to say a word, Hikaru knew. "Oh, Kaoru! I'm so sorry." He embraced his brother once again, and both of them cried.

oOoOo

The next morning, Kaoru decided that with Hikaru by his side, he could go to school. The girls all made a fuss over poor injured Kaoru, but Hikaru kept them at bay. He also fielded the onslaught of questions with elaborate responses that answered nothing, but kept the prying students happy. Kaoru took such comfort in his brother's presence, he didn't think he could love him any more than he did right now.

After classes ended, the freshman trio walked to Host Club together, with Kaoru in the middle. Not even Haruhi could part the twins today. Nor would she want to. She was so pleased to see them side by side again.

The other club members were happy to see Kaoru as well. No one asked a single question. They greeted him with gentle hugs and ruffled his hair. Their family was whole once again.

Kaoru had decided that Ranka was right. He did have a good family and good friends. He could rely on them to support him. And he knew that he would do the same if they needed him. They could help him protect Hikaru if need be. He would tell them the truth.

With Hikaru seated by his side, he began nervously. "Before Host Club begins, I should probably tell you all what happened."

"No need," interrupted Tamaki. "We already know."

"You know?" blurted the twins in unison. "But how?"

"Well," began Tamaki, taking on the roll of a detective at the denouement, "The physical evidence," he waved a hand at Kaoru, "tells us what happened. The time of his disappearance tells us when it happened. The interrogation of our customers yesterday led us to the scene of the crime. All that was missing was the culprit and the motive. We have Kyoya's keen observation skills to thank for unraveling that bit of the mystery." He nodded to Kyoya, who walked to the side room and opened the door.

"Will you join us out here please?" he asked of someone inside the room.

A moment later a girl stepped through the door.

"Mariko-Sempai!?" the twins chorused in astonishment. They both recognized her immediately. She was one of their best customers. "What does she have to do with this?"

Tamaki graciously pulled up a chair for her. "Would you care to explain, Miss?"

The girl looked down at the handkerchief she held tightly in her hands. Her eyes were red from crying. "There is a boy," she said, her voice wavering. "He came to me a few months ago to confess his love. He is from a Yakuza family, and he scares me. I told him I was not interested, but he persisted. He kept coming around with his two friends. One time he told me he had seen me with the Host Club, more specifically with the twins. He said he hated them. He said terrible things about them, about their brotherly love. He threatened to hurt them, but I never thought he would actually go through with it. But when that girl said she saw three boys with black hair, and one of them was tall, I knew it was him. I should have spoken up, but I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

"And can you tell us the name of this Yakuza?" prompted Tamaki.

"His name is Masao Shinoda," she confessed. All eyes turned to Kaoru, and he nodded in confirmation.

"And so, the mystery has been solved," concluded Tamaki. "Now all that remains is the matter of retribution. What shall be done to punish the perpetrators of this heinous crime?"

"Wait!" interjected Kaoru in alarm. "They threatened to hurt Hikaru if I told anyone!"

"Ah, but you didn't tell us," Tamaki pointed out.

"No, but they won't know that," he argued.

Kyoya walked over and calmly placed his hand on the twin's shoulder. "No need to worry. Plans are already being made to resolve the situation. You and Hikaru will have our complete protection. Those boys chose the wrong person to pick on." Kaoru just hoped he was right.

oOoOo

**A/N: **I think this story will be wrapped up soon. One more chapter ought to do it, but sometimes the story seems to have a mind of its own. All of your comments have been very inspirational. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. :-) Thank you!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I'm done.


	7. Ch 7 Deja Vu

The next day Hikaru spotted Masao and his two cronies outside the high school building. They were standing around, talking and laughing with one another. He walked directly up to them. "You hurt my brother, you bastards!" he stated defiantly. "You will regret your stupidity."

"Oh yeah!" growled Masao, and the chase was on. Hikaru led them straight to the hedge maze. He made sure to keep his distance without losing them. Though the broken branches had long since been taken care of, he knew the path to take by heart.

When the three thugs turned the corner to the dead end, they stopped short. Both twins sat side by side on the stone bench, their arms draped protectively over each other's shoulders. They leaned their heads together, and identical grins spread across their faces. If it weren't for the lingering bruises on Kaoru's face, they would have looked like a mirror image.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" sneered Masao. "Deja vu, only with double the fun! You think we can't take on two little queer boys? Ha! We'll kill two birds with one stone." He laughed at his own joke.

The twins just sat and smiled, as though greatly amused by something. "What's your problem?" Masao roared. He did not like the fact that they weren't cringing in fear. "I'll wipe those stupid grins off both your faces!"

Just then Masao heard a quiet 'Thump, thump,' behind him. He slowly turned to see his two cohorts slumped on the ground. Honey stood over one prone body; Mori over the other.

"What the hell!?" he snarled. Realizing he was now out numbered, Masao decided to beat a hasty retreat. Honey and Mori let him pass between them as he exited the dead end. They didn't want to have all the fun.

Haruhi stood in the center of the path. Masao snorted. Did they think this small boy could stop him? Turning to the right, he was confronted by Tamaki, standing with his arms folded next to Kasanoda. Behind them were arranged a formidable crew of Kasanoda's underlings.

He whirled around to try his luck in the other direction. Here he faced a grim looking Kyoya, backed by the Ootori Private Police force.

Masao was surrounded on all sides. He turned back to Haruhi, the least formidable of the assembled adversaries. She stared at him sternly. "You hurt our friend," she stated plainly. "We can't allow that."

The Yakuza never saw it coming. Haruhi delivered a swift, sharp kick to his groin. He grabbed his crotch and crumpled to the ground with an agonized groan. Tamaki stepped forward and looked down at the pitiful form, writhing in pain. "Maybe if you were punished for your offensive behavior, you might think twice before imposing your narrow-minded world view upon innocent people."

Kyoya joined Tamaki. "Especially one with so many powerful friends." He motioned to the police force. "Take this filth away."

"Wait!" called the twins together. They stood up and walked over to the mewling bully on the ground. They looked at each other and nodded. Then they both gave him one more kick, for good measure.

"Feel better?" Hikaru asked his twin as the police dragged the three Yakuza off the ground and escorted them away.

"Much," Kaoru confirmed.

Hikaru took his twin in his arms. "Do you still want to do our 'Brotherly Love' act?"

Kaoru reached up and tenderly cupped his brother's cheek as he gazed into his golden eyes. "I wouldn't give it up for the world."

Finis

oOoOo

**A/N: **Well, there it is. Sorry the final chapter is so short, but that's how the story ends. Anything else would have just been filler. I apologize for not describing Honey and Mori's fight. I didn't think I could do it justice, so I thought it best left to the imagination. It has been a fast and fun ride for me. I hope you enjoyed it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am done with them for now. Hatori-Sensei can have them back.


End file.
